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It’s a glorious Sunday afternoon and you sit sipping mimosas listening to the birds chirping while the breeze blows through your hair. As you sit there with your best gal friends chit chatting about the amazing man you are engaged to the thought occurs to you: “Why can’t I just have a wedding as relaxed as Sunday Brunch?”
Well, my friend, you are in luck because brunch-themed weddings are all the rage now so hop on board that train and start planning your very own brunch wedding!
Before you do there are lots of things to consider though so we’re here to give you some tips for planning a brunch wedding.
The Venue and Decor
One of the best perks to having a brunch wedding is getting a cheaper rate since you are holding your ceremony during the day. Venues charge more for evening weddings as it’s considered primetime and many venues know they can possibly book two weddings in one day if you book them for the morning. This is also your chance to pick a more casual setting for your soiree if you are a more laid back kind of couple.
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Have an outdoor brunch wedding.<br />Photographed at <a href="/a-winter-wedding-in-valley-of-fire/">Valley of Fire.</a>
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The Doyle, wedding venue in Las Vegas.<br /> <a href="/the-story-behind-our-sustainable-wedding-photoshoot/">Photographed during a sustainable wedding photoshoot.</a>
Small historical venues are usually a great daytime option. Because of the more laid-back approach you can opt for a light dusting of flowers and paper lanterns perhaps as opposed to an elaborate display that looks like someone robbed 10,000 flower stands. Brightly colored glassware juxtaposed with black or gold flatware can make for an amazing color palette to set the ambiance.
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For place settings and centerpieces you can have lots of fun! Gift each guest a specialized coffee mug filled with specialty coffee beans, some cute sun glasses to keep them shaded while they brunch, or some fun table activities like crossword puzzles that contain fun facts about the couple.
Succulents and individuals potted plants make for great centerpieces and guests can take them home as a party favor to live on long after the special day. Flowers in mason jars are also a cute option and another great take-home party favor as well as personalizing jars of jam that make for a tasty treat later.
Outdoor daytime celebrations also scream for youthful activities like lawn games, piñatas, and bubble-making stations. Since you will be exiting your reception when the sun is still out, opt for guests creating a balloon aisle for you to run through instead of sparklers (or bring back those crazy-good bubble making skills they all just learned!)
Dress and Entertainment
Looking to get away from your mother’s 100lb wedding dress with shoulder pads and a train the length of a football field? This is your chance! A brunch theme gives you the chance to wear that cute little white dress you had in mind on a hot summer day of wedding planning or that Bohemian-looking number you spotted at Anthropologie and have dreamed about ever since. This is your day so have fun with it and wear what you want!
Your groom will also thank you as he wears a nice blazer and khakis as opposed to a full suit and tie. Even though you are comfortable enough to dance, you can easily skip the whole DJ-dance-party-until-midnight tradition at your boozy brunch reception.
Not all married couples love dancing just like all wedding guests don’t so a daytime reception gives you a perfect excuse to skip all of that completely. Instead maybe get a local folk band or bust out your favorite classic records!
Food and Drinks
We saved this for last because it’s the most exciting part of a brunch wedding! The creative options are never-ending. Of course the first thing that comes to mind is a mimosa bar or perhaps a designer donut display but there are a myriad of other great ideas so we thought we’d just make a list for you!
- Coffee Bar
- Afternoon Tea and Scones
- Flavor Infused Milk and Cereal Cart
- Bagel Bar
- Bite Sides Chicken and Waffles
- Make Your Own Trail Mix Station
- Glitter Donut Tower
- Gourmet Parfaits
- Bacon and Bloody Mary Bar
- Fruit and Cheese Platters
- Make Your Own Mimosa and Bellini Bar
- Rose All Day Motif
- Screwdrivers and Mini Pancakes
- Cappuccino and Chocolate Station
- Cinnamon Roll Wedding Cake
- Non-Alcoholic Fizzy Drink Station
- Old Fashion Lemonade and Popsicle Stand
As you can see the possibilities are endless so get excited! Keep in mind a few Pros and Cons before jumping in.
Con’s
- You will most likely have to wake up extremely early to get ready for your day. The ceremony will need to start around 10 or 11am so you’ll need to arrange hair, make up, and a few pics before all that. See if the venue will let you set up some of the decor the night before to save you a few hours of sleep that morning.
- A lot of guests might have a hard time making it. Many people work weekends these days or have to arrange baby-sitters so a daytime event might make it difficult to work their schedules around.
- If you love dancing you might be a little disappointed as a lot of guests are more self conscious when the sun is fully blazing and they aren’t quite tipsy enough to lose their inhibitions fully to let loose on the dance floor.
- You might want more time for your ceremony and reception. Afternoon/evening weddings are typically 8 hour packages with a venue but only 4 hours for a daytime ceremony. This might not be enough time for you to do all the activities you want.
Pro’s
- Amazing lighting for your event and all your photos
- Having brunch at your wedding-duh!
- Wrapping your wedding by 4pm with plenty of time for sunset pictures and alone time as a newlywed couple
- An excuse to skip dancing if it’s not your thing
- Getting to play fun games like Corn Hole and Horseshoes!
- Being able to wear what you want and not be judged for it
- A nice 4 hour wedding as opposed to a marathon 8 hours
- Less time getting ready and more quality time with your loved ones
We hope this helps get some ideas going for you to go out and create an amazing brunch wedding that you and your guests will never forget!
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McKenzi Taylor is America’s go-to elopement and micro wedding expert, often featured in small and major media outlets, such as the New York Times. With over 15 years of wedding photography experience, it was after planning her own Las Vegas elopement in 2016 that McKenzi felt her purpose shift into elopement coordination. She started Cactus Collective Weddings soon after in 2017. Since then, she’s become a WIPA board member, and has helped well over 1000 couples get hitched in style around Las Vegas, San Diego and Black Hills.
